


Shrike

by LemonCakeDesign



Series: Almost (Sweet Music) [11]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, hey wol did you know sex and violence are not a replacement for talking about your feelings, no? cool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:13:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24413401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LemonCakeDesign/pseuds/LemonCakeDesign
Summary: Words hung above, but never would formLike a cry at the final breath that is drawnRemember me, love, when I'm rebornAs a shrike to your sharp and glorious thornAs it turns out, Pike is a bit of a mess.
Relationships: Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters
Series: Almost (Sweet Music) [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1535039
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Shrike

_ It’s just sex _ .

“F’lhaminn, do you have the date?” Tataru calls.

“Thirteenth of the second Umbral moon,” F’lhaminn calls back.

There’s a crash as Pike drops the mug he was carrying, and he curses quietly. He stoops to pick up the pieces, and hisses when one of the ceramic pieces slices a deep cut into his palm.

“Oh dear,” F’lhaminn says, catching sight of him. “Why don’t you go see Seren, sweetling. I’ll clean this up.”

Pike nods and sets off down the hallway in a daze. He doesn’t make it to the infirmary, just to his room, and the siren call of his bed pulls him into the room. He doesn’t even end up laying down, just sits on the edge of his bed, cradling his hand. He stares at the wound, still seeping blood.

Thirteenth of the second Umbral moon. How could he have forgotten?

Some part of his mind reminds him that he’s been busy, cleaning up the mess still left after taking Ala Mhigo. But still. It’s important to him, he’s never missed this before.

There’s a knock at his door, and it’s a moment before Pike remembers he’s supposed to answer. “Come in,” he calls.

It’s Thancred, and he’s grinning from ear to ear. “Pike! I heard you were here—what in the seven hells happened to you?!” Thancred rushes over, prising Pike’s hand out of his lap.

There’s more blood there than Pike remembers, and he realizes he doesn’t know how long he’s been sitting here. “Cut my hand,” he says, haltingly. “On...a mug.”

“And you thought you’d just sit here and bleed out?” Thancred shakes his head. “Come on, up, darling. Let’s get this taken care of.”

Thancred leads him down the hallway to the infirmary. “Seren’s gone home already,” he explains, pulling down one of the first aid kits, “So you’ll have to make do with my own talents, I’m afraid.”

Pike nods, sitting on the exam table because he knows he should. He’s dimly aware of Thancred threading a needle, still talking to him, but it’s just white noise until Thancred snaps his fingers in front of Pike’s face. “Don’t go passing out on me now, darling,” he says. “I don’t want to have to wake Seren up after the day she’s had.”

Pike feels the needle tug through his skin, feels the pain in a distant, out-of-body sort of way. It’s over quickly, the cut deep but not long, and then Pike feels a hand settle on his shoulder.

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on, Pike?” Thancred says, voice soft and laced through with worry.

Pike does, but there’s a disconnect between the thoughts in his mind and his mouth. He motions vaguely to his head, and Thancred sits on the table next to him. “Do you want me to talk to you, until your mind comes back?”

Pike nods, taking Thancred’s hand with his uninjured one.

Thancred starts speaking, telling Pike about his day so far. There’d been an incident at the Saltery, apparently, with one of the monsters that roams around. Normally, they’re scared off by the amount of people there and the loud noises, but this one had been a bit more curious than the others, and Thancred had been wandering by when the shouting and commotion started.

It’s a boring story, all things considered—Thancred had easily dispatched the creature, after all, but it lets Pike settle, coming back down to his body. 

“Sorry,” he says quietly. “‘m sorry.”

“Welcome back,” Thancred says with a smile. “It’s quite alright, Pike. Do you want to tell me what happened?”

“The date,” Pike says. “It’s...the day Elphina died.”

Thancred sucks in a sharp breath, and he squeezes Pike’s hand. “Oh.”

“It’s not usually this hard on me,” Pike explains. “I’m more aware of the date, able to prepare to be useless for the day. But...I’ve been distracted, not keeping track. And I feel like I...like I  _ forgot _ about her.” He lets out a choked laugh, and the tears spill over, running down his cheek. “The first time everyone knows about her, and I forgot about my baby sister.”

“You didn’t forget about her, Pike,” Thancred says softly. “She’s with you, right? All the time. You carry her in your heart. Just because you’re not thinking about her, doesn’t mean you’ll forget about her. You deserve a life outside of all your grief, right?” He cups Pike’s cheek with his free hand, and Pike leans into the touch.

“I know,” he says. He takes a deep, settling breath. “I know. She wouldn’t want that, anyway.” He sniffs, and scrubs at the tears on his face. “Sorry, I know this isn’t what you expected from finding me today.”

“First and foremost, you are a dear friend to me, Pike,” Thancred says. “I would much rather make sure you are doing well then let off a little steam.”

“Thank you,” Pike says sincerely. “That means a lot.”

He ignores the light, fluttery feeling in his stomach that starts up when Thancred says that. It’s probably just a side effect of the day Pike’s had.

* * *

_ It’s just sex _ , Pike tells himself.

When Pike gets the invitation for the party from Aymeric, he doesn’t even think about going. He’s too busy, he thinks, and he’s got the parchment out to reply when Thancred enters his room. Thancred stoops to kiss him on the neck, but stops and frowns.

“An invitation?”

Pike nods. “I was just about to say I’m too busy to go. And...I’m pretty sure Aymeric has a...thing for me. I’m going to have to say something to him eventually, but it’s hard to get him alone, and I’m a bit nervous.”

“Oh, so you  _ have _ noticed,” Thancred says. “Valliant asked me if you’d said anything about it, the other day. He’s been asking after you quite a bit, apparently.”

Pike wrinkles his nose. “I feel like I  _ should _ be interested in him, sometimes,” he says. He leans back in the chair, tilting his head against Thancred’s chest. “He’s a lot like Haurchefant, you know? Kind, and smart, and brave, and willing to go up against anyone to do what’s right. But…” Pike shrugs. “I’m not. I think that’s why I haven’t said anything to him, though, because I don’t want to…”

“Disappoint anyone?” Thancred strokes one of Pike’s ears. “You’re under no obligations to feel anything for anyone, you realize. And I doubt anyone expects that of you.”

“You’re right,” Pike says. “Guess I should...go, to the party, and let him down gently. I think it’ll be the easiest in person, and who knows when he’ll be free again to have an actual conversation?”

“Sounds smart,” Thancred says.

“But…” Pike frowns. “I don’t want to go alone. I think I might chicken out. Would...would you go with me? I’d bring Valliant, but she thinks plate armor is a good outfit for a black tie affair.”

“Go to a fancy party and mess with all the nobles whilst eating their—probably very expensive—food?” Thancred smiles. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Two weeks later, Pike puts the finishing touches on his makeup in his old room in Fortemps Manor. He’s not normally one for painting his face, but without his usual armor, he needs the confidence boost. He wears a simple, loose fitting blouse, with a beaded waistcoat over top, and simple black trousers. It’s definitely not the height of Ishgardian fashion, but it’s sleek and clearly dressy enough to pass muster.

Before he goes, he picks up his knife and slides it into the holster in his boot. He doesn’t expect much trouble at the party, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Thancred’s leaning on the wall outside the door, looking delicious. Pike has to take a moment not to just drag him down the hall to his room. It’s a simple waistcoat and trouser combination, with a tie to match the beading on Pike’s own waistcoat, but Thancred wears it just as well as his roguish attire. 

Thancred clears his throat, and Pike reddens, realizing he’s been staring. “Ready?” he asks, pointedly looking away from Thancred.

“Of course.” Thancred holds out an arm, and Pike hooks his own around it. “You look nice.”

For some reason, that makes Pike flush more, and he takes a deep breath before answering. “Thank you. You as well.”

“I’d gathered, from your staring,” Thancred says, and Pike doesn’t have to look at him to know he’s smirking at him, the bastard. “You know, we could arrive fashionably late…”

“I’m not telling Aymeric that I’m uninterested after having sex with you,” Pike says with an eye roll. “Even if we weren’t staying in my former father-in-law’s home.’

Said father-in-law is waiting by the door for them, and he smiles when he sees Pike. “You look lovely, son,” he says, and Pike drops Thancred’s arm to embrace him.

“Thank you, Edmont,” he says. “Thank you for letting us stay, as well.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Pike,” Edmont says. “I must admit, it has been rather quiet around here, with my sons away. It is nice to have others around.”

I”’m sorry I haven’t been by, lately.” Pike steps back, slipping his arm through Thancred’s. “They’ve kept me busy, on the front lines. How’re Artoirel and Emmanellain?”

They make easy conversation as they walk towards the Haillenarte manor. It’s near enough to the Vault that they have to pass it, and Pike fades from the conversation as they do.

Thancred pulls him closer, just enough for Pike to be grounded by his presence.

The manor is not unfamiliar to Pike. He’d been there, once or twice with Haurchefant, for the few events that had come up when the both of them weren’t busy. The atmosphere is quite different than he’s used to, though. The end of the Dragonsong War has everyone lighter, even as they pursue the campaign against Garlemald.

Any foe seems easier, Pike would wager, than a nigh-immortal revenge-mad dragon.

The event is a celebration of one of the members of House Haillenarte, though Pike would be hard pressed to tell you who or what it was for. It means he gets to see Francel, though, and that’s always wonderful.

Francel finds them soon after they enter and have their outerwear taken. Edmont has already disappeared, ever the politician. “Pike!” Francel says happily. “Wonderful to see you.”

“Francel,” Pike greets warmly. “How have you been?”

He gets swept up in conversation, and he nearly forgets that Thancred is there with him until Francel says, “Forgive my rudeness, sir! I jumped right over introductions.”

“Right, yes,” Pike says. “My fault, really. Francel, this is Thancred Waters. He’s a founding member of the Scions. He usually looks a little rougher, so I’m not surprised you didn’t recognize him.” He laughs as Thancred playfully bumps his hip against him.

“Ah, Ser Aymeric has mentioned you,” Francel says. “Wonderful to finally meet you.”

“Speaking of Aymeric, has he arrived?” Pike scans the crowd. “I have something I need to discuss with him.”

“Yes, he’s...talking with my father, I believe, yes, there he is. Oh, he’s seen us, that’s fortuitous.”

“I’ll be back,” Pike says, letting Thancred’s arm go. “Don’t get into too much trouble without me, alright?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He winks, and Pike laughs. He stretches, unthinking, to place a kiss to Thancred’s cheek, and then colors.

“I’m going to-yeah-okay bye!” Pike escapes, leaving a wordless Thancred and a confused Francel behind. He nearly runs into Aymeric as he turns. “Ah, sorry,” Pike says, his face bright red. He feels like a school child, honestly, and he shakes his head to clear it. “Do you mind if we talk, Aymeric? I have something I’d like to discuss, in private.”

Aymeric nods, and they walk towards one of the balconies. There’s barely anyone out there, the cold driving everyone to the warmth of the crowded ballroom. Pike leans against the cold steel of the railing in a tucked away corner, and lets out a shaky breath.

“You wanted to discuss something?” Aymeric says. His tone is neutral, which makes it hard for Pike to judge his state of mind, so he barrels on ahead.

“Ah, yeah.” Pike grips the balcony behind him. “I...feel I may need to clarify something, between us. It’s clear to me, that you have feelings, that I…” he fights for the words, something nice but firm. 

Aymeric lifts his hand. “If this is about your relationship with Master Thancred, rest assured, I understand. You do not need to let me down gently, Pike. I am only happy that you have someone you can love.” He smiles.

Pike blinks. “Thancred and I aren’t in a relationship.”

“You aren’t?” Aymeric frowns. “I’d assumed, since you brought him here, and the displays of affection—”

“I’m just used to being touchy with him,” Pike says, feeling his face flame up  _ again _ , and it’s starting to get annoying. “I brought him because I was worried I would be too nervous to let you down. I...emotions are not my strong suit. I’m sorry, Aymeric. You’re a very nice man, and you’ll make someone very happy some day. It’s just not...me.”

“Thank you,” Aymeric says. He shivers. “It’s bitterly cold. Shall we go back in?”

“Yes, please.” Pike leads the way in, holding the door for Aymeric. He leaves him as soon as possible, because even he knows that hurt feelings are best nursed privately, and looks for Francel and Thancred.

He finds Francel, easily enough, chatting with another noble (Pike thinks she may be a Durendaire, but he honestly he’s not sure) and he hovers politely, waiting to break into the conversation.

“Sorry to interrupt you, Francel,” Pike says, with a sheepish smile. “Do you know where Thancred disappeared off to?”

“He was swept up by a few ladies,” Francel says. “Over there, I believe?”

Pike follows his gesture, spotting Thancred’s white hair. From the angle, Pike can see his face, smiling and clearly enjoying the attention. One of the women places a hand on his arm, and even though he can’t hear her clearly over the noise, the low timber of her voice lets Pike know that she’s flirting with Thancred.

Something ugly curdles in Pike’s stomach, and he barely remembers to toss a “Thank you” to Francel as he sets out on a warpath. He dodges through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone too much, but barely aware of anything outside of that.

“There you are,” Pike says, putting on his best diplomatic voice, as he reaches Thancred. “Hello, ladies. Thank you for keeping my date so entertained.” He smiles, purposefully not letting it reach his eyes, as he slides an arm around Thancred’s waist. “Do you feel up for a bit of dancing, Thancred?”

“With you, darling? Always,” Thancred says, and he turns to smile at the women. The one who was flirting with Thancred looks a bit disappointed, but moves on, waving to the two of them. And Pike starts to feel a bit bad, as Thancred leads him out onto the dance floor.

They dance in silence for a few minutes, Pike not looking Thancred in the eyes. It’s easy to dance with Thancred, just an extension of the trust they’ve long since established by fighting with each other.

“You know, jealousy is cute on you,” Thancred says, breaking the silence.

Pike flushes. “I’m not jealous,” he says petulantly.

“I’m certain,” Thancred replies, the amused tone making it clear he’s just humoring Pike. “It’s alright if you are, darling.”

“I shouldn’t be,” Pike mutters. “We’re not in a relationship. I don’t have any claim over you.”

“You’re used to my attention being solely on you.” Thancred turns them in a slow circle, spinning Pike as the tempo of the music changes. “It’s not unreasonable to think you might be a bit upset if that were threatened. I don’t mind.”

“I mind,” Pike says. “I don’t want to-to inflict an unfair double standard on us. You should be allowed to do as you please. Twelve knows I have, and you’ve never expressed even an ilm of jealousy.”

“You don’t normally do so in front of me,” Thancred points out. “And it’s not as if I’ve never felt jealous when you spend your nights with another.”

“Really?” 

“Yes, really.” Thancred laughs a little. “You’re quite stunning, Pike. It’s hard not to want you all to myself.”

And there’s that fluttery feeling, again, the one Pike tries to ignore. Pike bites his lip. “This is isn’t some…”

“No, I’m just selfish and don’t like sharing,” Thancred says. There’s a lance of disappointment that goes through Pike at that, but he ignores it.

“Good,” Pike says. 

He leans a little closer to Thancred as they dance.

* * *

It’s just sex, and maybe Pike could use that release right about now.

He’s been choked with anxiety since Alphinaud left for Garlemald. Pike  _ knows _ what the Capital is like, better than anyone, how dangerous it is for a political dissident, but he can’t do anything about it.

And that’s not even considering the whole “Zenos’ body is being puppeted by an Ascian” thing. 

Pike doesn’t have good coping mechanisms, he knows. It’s either beating up monsters or sex. But now, he thinks, isn’t the time to come up with better ones. And with a decided lack of monsters to hunt and kill, and no Thancred around for easy stress relief, he decides to head out to find a pretty man to warm his bed for a night.

And all told, the night starts out just fine. He’s sitting at the bar, chatting up a  _ very _ nice looking Au Ra man, and it’s going well. Right up until he notices a man harassing a girl in the corner.

“Would you excuse me for a moment?” Pike asks, and the Au Ra nods. Pike sighs and stands, making his way across the bar.

“Let me go,” the girl hisses to the man. “I don’t want to—”

“Is something the matter over here?” Pike asks.

“Just a little domestic,” the man says. He’s red-faced and swaying, clearly drunk.

Pike shoots a glance to the girl. She looks terrified. He turns back to the man. “I’d advise you to let the lady go, sir.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do with my woman?” The man lets her go, and steps into Pike’s space, trying to intimidate him.

“A decent person?” Pike responds, tilting his head. “If someone asks you to leave them alone, you should. That’s just basic manners. Or did they not teach that in the backwater hellhole you crawled out of?”

And that’s when the man takes a swing at Pike. Pike dodges easily, then a feral grin splits on his face, and he springs into battle.

As it turns out, the man has friends, and they jump in, too. All of them pale in comparison to the usual foes Pike has to face, but they have numbers, so it soothes the part of him that has been craving violence. It’s pure chaos, and he revels in it.

Eventually, he has all but the first man on the floor, and the man tackles him, sending them crashing to the floor. Pike easily flips him, then straddles the man and punches him in the face. He’s spitting curses and threats in his native language as he does, and he keeps hitting. He feels the skin on his knuckles split against the man’s teeth, and his own blood mixes with gushing from the man’s (likely broken) nose.

Someone seizes him around the middle and hauls him off the man, and Pike, running on pure adrenaline, slams an elbow into their stomach, hissing more curses.

He’s dragged across the bar, and tossed through the door into the Rising Stones.

“What in the  _ seven hells _ was that?” Thancred asks, as he closes the door behind them.

Pike stays where he was thrown, chest heaving. “He swung at me first.”

“Are you  _ seven _ ?” Thancred rolls his eyes. “Gods above, Pike, I thought you were better than that.”

“I think you’re forgetting I killed people for a living. I’m not better than anything.” Pike pushes himself off the ground, hissing at his injured hand. He stalks off towards the infirmary.

“Don’t you—” Thancred lets out a frustrated growl and follows him. “I’m still talking to you.”

“Too bad,” Pike says, shouldering open the door to the infirmary. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Since you nearly beat a man to death in a bar fight, I don’t care much what you want.” Thancred grabs him by the back of his shirt.

Pike whips around, and Thancred lets him go. “What do you want me to say, Thancred? I’m sorry? I’m not. He was trying to force a woman to go home with him, and he tried to hit me first.”

“That does not  _ nearly  _ necessitate the level of violence you visited upon him, Pike!” Thancred pinches the bridge of his nose. “You realize your actions reflect on  _ all _ of us.”

“Yeah, well, should’ve thought about that before you chose a murderer who can’t even kill right as your savior.” Pike turns and heads into the infirmary. He grabs a roll of bandages and begins to wrap them around his hand, but they slip off and he lets out a frustrated growl.

“Let me,” Thancred says, having come up behind him. He takes the bandages from Pike. “I don’t care about you as a savior, Pike. I care because you’re my friend, and I don’t want you to do something you regret.”

“Too late for that,” Pike says. “I’ve already gone and messed everything up. Like I always do.”

“Not everything,” Thancred says softly. “You haven’t messed us up.”

Pike freezes, and then he laughs bitterly. “ _ Everything _ about us is messed up, Thancred. I use the fact that you have feelings for me to feel better about myself.”

“I don’t have—”

“Please,” Pike says. “I’m emotionally messed up, not an idiot. I’ve known for a while. I’m not what you want me to be, Thancred. I’m never going to love you in the way you want me to. Don’t you see? You’re not him. You’re not Haurchefant.”   


“No, I’m not.” Thancred finishes wrapping his hand, and drops it. “I don’t expect me to love me like you did him. I’ll take whatever part of you I can get.”

“You deserve better than that,” Pike says. He turns away from Thancred. “So much better, Thancred. You deserve someone who will love you, with no caveats, without resenting that you’re not someone who died over a year ago. I love you too much to put you through that.”

He walks out of the infirmary.

The next day, Thancred tells him he’s leaving for Garlemald, to keep an eye on things. It’s a good thing, Pike tells himself. Give them both some space to let what’s broken and hurting between them go.

He pretends not to notice how much he aches without Thancred around.

* * *

It’s not just sex, and probably never has been.

Pike is lying in bed, thinking. He’s been thinking since Thancred left. About them.

He’s gone over every moment of their tragic relationship. It’s been fraught with feelings and unspoken grievances from the very beginning. They were both grieving people they had just recently lost, and using sex to feel better about that. It was a bad basis for  _ anything _ , even if the both of them had been healthy communicators.

And yet…

Pike misses him. He misses being able to go find Thancred, and be with him. Misses the way Thancred’s advice was always what he needed in the moment. Misses being able to spill his heart out, and have Thancred hold his hand, and tell him everything will be alright.

Oh. Pike loves him.

That’s almost worse, he thinks. If it was just Thancred’s body he missed, then he wouldn’t feel so conflicted about what he had said. But he misses  _ Thancred _ , because he loves him.

It doesn’t change anything. It just hurts more.

Thancred comes back, and Pike doesn’t speak the entire time he’s there. He just heads to Doma to talk to Y’shtola because he can’t bear to be in Thancred’s presence anymore. If he’s there any longer, he thinks, he’ll tell Thancred that he was wrong, that he loves him, that he’ll never have to compete, and it’ll be a lie but Thancred will take him back because that’s who he is.

Better to go fight some monsters, then.

They find the ruins of Alphinaud’s airship and it hurts, hurts more than anything. Alphinaud is his little brother, loves him fiercely with everything in his heart, and he’s  _ gone _ , could be anywhere or even…

No. He won’t think about that.

He holds Alisiae close, a fierce grip. “We’ll find him,” he tells her, and he doesn’t know who he’s trying to convince. 

They set up the shield for Doma, and go back to Ala Mhigo. Pike lets Valliant take the lead in talking to Thancred, not trusting himself to speak to him. He chances a glance, and their eyes meet. Pike feels his heart stop, but Thancred doesn’t even seem to react, just sliding his eyes off him to focus back on Valliant.

It hurts, but Pike is all hurt right now. It barely registers.

They go to the meeting. Pike is barely present. They don’t need him here, even if it’s about Garlemald. All his information is seven years out of date, at this point, and he never had a good grasp on the politics besides. Instead, he spends his time vacillating between not thinking about Thancred and not thinking about Alphinaud.

When the voice starts, Pike thinks the stress has gotten to him, until he sees Valliant grab her head next to him. “That way...sorrow…History...must be changed...”

“Who is this?” he says, looking around. His vision is covered in a swirling film of blue, and his head aches fiercely, like someone is driving a stake into it.

“Ahead looms a Calamity. Ahead looms Light, expunging all form and life. Twin dooms only you can forestall. Only you.”

Everyone’s panicking, he realizes dimly, but the pain and the voice in his ear leave little room to think of much else. 

“ Let expanse contract, eon become instant...Throw wide the gates that we may pass!”

And it disappears, just like that. Pike shakes his head, feeling oddly drained.

“Is it over?” Y’shtola asks.

Thancred slumps over, falling to the ground, and the world falls out under Pike.

* * *

Pike sits vigil over Thancred’s bedside, every free moment he has.

He only moves when they have need of Pike for Scion business, or when Krile and Seren need to look over him. When they force him out, he bathes, and eats, and then he comes back, to sleep at Thancred’s side.

Valliant finally breaks after two weeks of this.

“You can’t destroy yourself like this,” she says, arms crossed over her chest. “We’re not going to find a way to help him if you’re incapable of functioning.”

Pike doesn’t look up at her, and she sighs. “You’ve got one more hour, then I’m dragging you out of here and telling Seren not to let you back in. I refuse to let you waste away in that chair.”

She storms out of the room, and Pike sighs. He runs a hand over Thancred’s hair.

“I was so worried about not loving you enough,” he says, voice barely above a whisper. “That you wouldn’t measure up. Funny, that I realize I love you just as much because it hurts just as much to have you gone.” He takes Thancred’s hand, and it’s warm. “You’re not him, but you don’t have to be. I don’t want another Haurchefant. I just want...you.”

He presses his forehead against Thancred’s. “Please come back, so I can tell you I’m sorry. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, I don’t deserve it. But it’ll be enough just to know you’ll be okay. Please, Thancred.”

There’s no movement, just the rise and fall of Thancred’s chest. Pike sighs. “This isn’t a fairytale, Pike,” he says to himself, lifting his head and placing Thancred’s hand back on the table.

He eases himself out of the chair, and strides out of the room.

* * *

“Thancred?” 

Thancred wakes with a start to Minfilia’s voice. “Huh-wh-Something wrong?”

“You were...talking in your sleep.” Minfilia’s eyes watch him carefully, worriedly. It reminds him so much of the  _ other _ Minfilia it hurts. “Something about a pike?”

“I’m fine.” The dream is already fading, though her words make it clear  _ exactly  _ who he was dreaming about. “That’s long enough, we may as well break camp and move on.”

Minfilia nods, setting about packing up her bedroll. Thancred sighs and stretches as he stands. He looks up at the endless light above him.

“I love you too, Pike,” he whispers.

“Did you say something?”

“Nothing, Minfilia. Hurry up, now, you’re still too slow about breaking camp.”

“Yes, sir!”

**Author's Note:**

> Some days you just wanna shake your character and say "you dumbass, you're in love with him!" but you can't because they're not real and also you wrote them to be like this. I have no one to blame but myself.
> 
> This might get another chapter? I don't know. We'll see. Before that, I'll probably post the G'raha thing. It's _also_ Pike being a messy slut, so that'll be fun!


End file.
